The Census breaks the homeless population into two groups - those whom live in shelters and those who do not. They completely ignore the later. For the former,

The Census breaks the homeless population into two groups - those whom live in shelters and those who do not. They completely ignore the later. For the former, shelters are not considered housing units. > "Census Bureau surveys do not collect data on the population experiencing homelessness and living on the streets" > https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2024/demo/sehsd-wp2024-03.pdf https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2024/demo/seh...